Hair growth modulation device

ABSTRACT

A hair growth modulation device is configured to impart a suitable quantity of irradiated light to a target site while lowering the irradiation intensity required by a light irradiator that generates modulating light for modulating hair growth. This device is provided with a hair follicle approximating means that causes hair follicles of body hairs at the target site to approach the skin surface, thereby enhancing the irradiation efficiency of modulating light irradiated to the hair follicles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional Application of patent application Ser.No. 12/524,566 filed on Jul. 24, 2009, which is a 371 application ofApplication No. PCT/JP2008/050983, filed Jan. 24, 2008, which is basedon Japanese Application Nos. 2007-017101 and 2007-017102, both filed onJan. 26, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a hair growth modulation device forpromoting or inhibiting body hair growth (including scalp hair) byirradiating light.

BACKGROUND ART

Although hair is known to be removed by laser light by using a hairgrowth modulation device using light as described in Japanese PatentApplication Laid-open No. 2001-292285, attention is currently beingfocused on modulation of the growth of body hair with light having aquantity of light or luminous energy that does not cause changes in cellmorphology as observed with existing therapeutic lasers.

Although body hair has a hair cycle during which hair changes in cyclesconsisting of a growth period, a regressive period and a rest period,when light, having a quantity of light or luminous energy that does notcause changes in cell morphology as observed with existing therapeuticlasers, is irradiated during the above-mentioned rest period, togetherwith growth of hair during the growth period of the hair cycleproceeding rapidly, the absence of the occurrence of cell damage as wellas the absence of the occurrence of adverse side effects such as burnshas also been confirmed. In addition, when hair is irradiated with lightof the above-mentioned quantity of light or luminous energy during thegrowth period of the hair cycle, hair growth has been confirmed to beeffectively inhibited.

Furthermore, although the reason why scalp hair growth is promoted orinhibited when the hair is irradiated with light at a level that doesnot cause changes in cell morphology during the rest period or growthperiod is not clear, based on the results of analyses at the RNA level,activation of inflammatory cytokines is thought to occur as a result ofthe light irradiation, and the resulting promotion or inhibition of hairgrowth is thought to be the result of this activation of inflammatorycytokines.

However, in promoting or inhibiting hair growth by irradiating light formodulating hair growth as described above to human skin, it is onlyrequired to radiate light of a suitable light quantity without havingluminous energy in the manner of a laser in order to modulate hairgrowth, and for this reason a xenon flash lamp is used for the lightsource. However, if it were possible to lower the required quantity oflight even further, optical modulation of hair growth is expected tobecome more appealing since it would be possible to use other lightsources that are inexpensive and easy to use.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in view, an object of the present invention is toprovide a hair growth modulation device capable of reducing the quantityof light required by modulating light for modulating growth of bodyhair.

The hair growth modulation device as claimed in the present invention isprovided with a light irradiator for irradiating modulating light formodulating body hair growth to a target site of a human body, and a hairfollicle approximating means for approximating hair follicles of bodyhairs at the target site towards the light irradiator when themodulating light is irradiated to the target site. As a result ofapproximating body hair to be irradiated with light towards the skinsurface, the quantity of light that reaches the follicles increases. Asa result, high light irradiation efficiency sufficient for the quantityof light irradiated to the hair follicles can be maintained while beingable to lower the capacity required by the light irradiator, therebymaking it possible to use a light source having a low radiated quantityof light for the light irradiator.

A mechanical shaving means for shaving body hair, a mechanical epilatingmeans for epilating body hair, or a suction means for suctioning theskin surface can be preferably used for the hair follicle approximatingmeans.

Moreover, an abrasive means configured so as to approximate hairfollicles towards the skin surface by scraping the skin surface at thetarget site can also be used for the hair follicle approximating means.In this case, the reflectance of light at the target site can be loweredby scraping the skin surface and making it smooth, thereby enhancing theirradiation efficiency of the modulating light and as a result, makingit possible to further lower the quantity of light required by the lightsource.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded front view of a hair growth modulation device asclaimed in a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2(A) is a perspective view of a hair growth modulation device asclaimed in a second embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 2(B)is a partial side view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hair growth modulation device asclaimed in a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a hair growth modulation device asclaimed in a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a hair growth modulation deviceas claimed in a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following provides an explanation of the present invention based onembodiments shown in the appended drawings. FIG. 1 shows a hair growthmodulation device as claimed in a first embodiment of the presentinvention. This device is provided with a grip 10 provided with ashaving head 20 on the upper end thereof, light irradiators 30 forirradiating modulating light for modulating growth of body hair areformed on the upper end of the grip 10, and the modulating light isirradiated onto skin of the body through the shaving head 20. Theselight irradiators 30 use a xenon flash lamp for the light source, andoutput modulating light in the form of flashing light having awavelength of 400 to 600 nm to a target site on skin of the body inorder to modulate growth of body hair. Consequently, the lightirradiators 30 are provided with a drive circuit, for driving the xenonflash lamp and causing the xenon flash lamp to continuously emitmodulating light in a short period of time of 1 ms or less, and afilter.

The shaving head 20 holds an outer blade 22 having a plurality of bladeholes, and shaves hair as a result of an inner blade 12 protruding fromthe upper end of the grip 10 moving while making sliding contact withthe outer blade 22. The inner blade 12 is driven to reciprocate orrotate by a motor (not shown) housed within the grip 10.

The light irradiators 30 are arranged on both sides of the inner blade12, and a lens (not shown) is provided for collecting modulating lighttowards the vicinity of the portions of the inner blade 12 and the outerblade 22 making contact, and modulating light output through the lens isirradiated to the skin through the blade holes of the outer blade 22.

A removable cap 24 is provided on the shaving head 20. This cap isformed from a light-blocking material. This cap is made from alight-blocking material. In a case where the cap is attached to theshaving head, this cap is shaped to prevent modulating light whichescapes to the outside from the light irradiator.

A switch 14 arranged on the grip 10 operates the motor for driving theinner blade 12 and the light irradiator 30, and modulating light outputfrom the light irradiator 30 is irradiated to the skin through the bladeholes of the outer blade 22 during the operation of shaving body hair.

When cutting body hairs between the outer blade 22 and the inner blade12, since body hairs are cut while being pulled in the direction ofmovement of the inner blade 12 as a result of skin entering the bladeholes of the outer blade 22, hair follicles of the body hairs are pulledup to the skin surface, andmodulating light is irradiated to hairfollicles that have approached the skin surface. Thus, even if thequantity of modulating light output from the light irradiator 30 isequal, the quantity of light received by the hair follicles increases inthe case the locations of the hair follicles irradiated with light arecloser to the skin surface. Thus, in order to maintain a quantity oflight required for modulating hair growth for the quantity of light tobe irradiated to the hair follicles, the light irradiator 30 can be usedat a lower output in the case a hair shaving means composed of the outerblade 22 and the inner blade 12 is present as compared with the case inwhich it is not present.

FIG. 2 shows a hair growth modulation device as claimed in a secondembodiment of the present invention. Although this device is alsoprovided with a shaving head 20 in the same manner as in theabove-mentioned first embodiment, the light irradiators 30 are arrangedoutside of the outer blade 22 in the shaving head 20. The lightirradiators 30 are provided with a light source 32 and a condenser lens34, and modulating light is irradiated towards the apex of the outersurface (surface contacting the skin) of the outer blade 22. In thiscase, modulating light from the light irradiators 30 is irradiated tothe skin pushed against the outer blade 22 without being blocked by theouter blade 22. A peripheral wall 28 surrounding the outer blade 22 andthe light irradiators 30 protrudes from the periphery of the shavinghead 20, and reduces the escape of modulating light to the outside.

FIG. 3 shows a hair growth modulation device as claimed in a thirdembodiment of the present invention. This device is similar to the firstembodiment with the exception of using an epilating head 40 instead ofthe shaving head 20. The epilating head 40 is provided with a rotatingcylinder 42 on which is arranged a plurality of pinching claws 44. Thepinching claws 44 are arranged in a row along the axial direction of therotating cylinder 42. According to movement of pinching claws 44 in theaxial direction, the pinching claws 44 are configured to pinch bodyhairs in a condition where the pinching claws 44 are closed, and areconfigured to release the body hairs in a condition where the pinchingclaws 44 are opened. The rotating cylinder is driven to rotate in thedirection indicated by the arrow in the drawing by a motor (not shown),the pinching claws 44 open and close accompanying this rotation, bodyhairs are pinched as a result of the claws 44 closing in the vicinity ofthe location of X in the drawing, body hairs are epilated as a result ofthe rotating cylinder 42 continuing to rotate in the direction of thearrow, and the epilated body hairs are subsequently released when thepinching claws 44 open.

In the present embodiment, the light irradiators 30 are provided with alight source 32 and a condenser lens 34, are located to the side of therotating cylinder 40 and in the direction in which the pinching claws 44epilate body hairs, and irradiate light onto hair follicles that havebeen pulled up towards the skin surface as a result of being pulled bythe pinching claws 44.

FIG. 4 shows a hair growth modulation device as claimed in a fourthembodiment of the present invention. This device uses a suction head 50instead of a shaving head, while other constituents are the same asthose of the first embodiment. A recess 52 is formed on the leading endsurface of the suction head 50 that serves as a contact surface with theskin, the lens 34 of the light irradiators 30 is arranged on the bottomwall of this recess 52, and the skin is irradiated by modulating lightfrom the light source 32 within the suction head 50 through the lens 34.A portion of the bottom wall of the recess 52 is connected to a suctionpump 56 provided within the grip 10 through a suction pathway 54, and aportion of the skin is pulled into the recess 52 by suctioning a portionof the skin in contact with the leading end surface of the suction head50. Accompanying this, body hairs and hair follicles are pulled towardsthe light source 32 and as a result thereof, modulating light from thelight irradiators 30 is efficiently radiated to the hair follicles. Thehair growth modulation device as claimed in this embodiment isparticularly effective in the case of promoting the growth of body hair.

FIG. 5 shows a hair growth modulation device as claimed in a fifthembodiment of the present invention. This device uses a head 60 providedwith an abrasive roller 64 instead of a shaving head, while otherconstituents are the same as those of the first embodiment. The abrasiveroller 64 is retained within a recess 62 formed in the leading endsurface of the head 60 and is able to rotate about the axis thereof, andcauses hair follicles to approach the skin surface, namely the lightirradiators 30, by scraping the old horny layer of the skin surface. Asa result, the irradiation efficiency of light onto the hair folliclescan be enhanced. In addition, although the old horny layer of the skinsurface lowers light transmittance by absorbing light in addition tohaving high light reflectance, light reflectance can be reduced byremoving the old horny layer prior to irradiating modulating light fromthe light irradiators 30, thereby making it possible to increase thequantity of light reaching the roots of body hairs. Moreover, thepresent embodiment can also be configured so as to connect a suctionpump (not shown) to the recess 62 as indicated in the fourth embodiment.In this case, skin can be suctioned within the recess 62 while removingthe removed horny layer by pressing the peripheral wall 68 surroundingthe recess 62 against the skin, thereby enabling hair follicles to geteven closer to the light irradiators 30 and further enhancingirradiation efficiency of the modulating light. The abrasive roller 64may also be driven to rotate by a motor. Although the abrasive roller isdisclosed as an example of a scraping means for removing the horny layerby scraping the surface of the skin, the present invention is notnecessarily limited thereto, but rather another scraping means can alsobe used that demonstrates a similar function.

Furthermore, although the above-mentioned embodiments indicate the useof a xenon flash lamp as a light source for the light irradiators 30,that which outputs laser light may be used, or a lamp having an outputlower than that of a xenon flash lamp may also be used.

1. A hair growth modulation device comprising: a light irradiatorconfigured to continuously irradiate a modulating light having energynot causing changes in cell morphology in a short period for modulatinghair growth to a target site of a human body; a hair follicleapproximating means configured to approximate hair follicles of bodyhairs at the target site towards said light irradiator when saidmodulating light is irradiate& wherein said hair follicle approximatingmeans is a mechanical epilating means for epilating the body hairs, andwherein said mechanical epilating means is provided with a head havingpinching claws for pinching the target site. 2-5. (canceled)